1. Field of the Invention
An air temperature regulator is provided which effectively converts a conventional electric fan to an air cooling device which is especially useful in generating a supply of cooled air to a specific location. Yet further, it is economical to produce, simple to operate, and does not detract from the original, airstream generating characteristics of the fan with which it is used. More particularly, it is concerned with an air temperature regulator which employs a modified housing at the downstream side of a conventional electric fan to releasably hold a cell containing a phase-change material, or plurality of individual cells, in the airstream of a conventional electric fan, and includes a mechanism for extracting the cells from the fan so that they may be rechilled and recycled.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sweltering summers pose an ever-present threat to the comfort and health of many people One solution to the high heat inside residential structures is conventional air conditioning, where the air within the entire structure or a specific room is cooled and dehumidified in a conventional refrigeration cycle. Unfortunately, some individuals on more limited incomes are often confronted with the inability to afford air conditioning of large volumes of air. Typically, air conditioners are somewhat expensive to purchase and to operate, and are somewhat inefficient in that they may cool more air than is necessary to accommodate the needs of the occupant of the structure. For those on limited incomes, cooling must be economical to be practical.
One well recognized method of making an occupant more confortable is the use of a fan. Conventional electric fans do not cool the air itself but do cause the air to move so that the airstream so generated produces a cooling effect on the user.
As a result, various attempts have been made to utilize a conventional electric fan to not only circulate air, thus providing a cooling effect, but also serve as an airstream source across a chilled surface. Unfortunately, these past efforts have largely been ineffective in both providing a cooling stream of air to reach the recipient while also enabling an ordinary user to quickly and efficiently recycle the cooling medium as it absorbs heat. It is especially desirable to provide an air temperature regulator which can be easily and economically retrofitted to an existing electrical fan or to be economically produced as part of an entire unit.